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Thanks to all for Christmas Love Lights TO THE EDITOR: In the spring of 2007, the Wills Memorial Hospital Auxiliary discussed several possible fund-raising ideas for the fall. It was brought up that the local Pilot Club once held a Christmas Love Light fundraiser and even had a permanent Christmas tree planted in front of the Courthouse in 2001. But it had been several years since this event was held. The Hospital Auxiliary decided to take over this great fundraising opportunity to benefit our hospital. Meetings began in late summer to organize the event. Pat Niemann and I headed the project, but several Auxiliary members including Cathy Stackhouse, Paula Butts, Margaret Norris, and others helped to coordinate everything. We envisioned that this could become an annual community event to celebrate the Christmas season in addition to helping the hospital. Marvin Goldman, the hospital CEO, put us in touch with his former hospital, Sheridan Memorial in Sheridan, Wyoming, to get input on their very successful Tree of Love fund-raiser. Our event was modeled after theirs, but we decided to hold it in conjunction with the Candlelight Shopping night that kicks off the holiday season in Washington. This is held on the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving each year and it is always well-attended by local residents as well as many out-oftowners. The News-Reporter ran an article announcing our plans in November and we passed out flyers to many local businesses. We planned a special ceremony by the tree in front of the courthouse to celebrate the tree lighting. It was a beautiful evening and the community responded very well! In our first year, we made well over $1,000 for our hospital! We would like to thank the community for supporting this event - especially those who purchased lights in memory or honor of loved ones. Thank you also to Mr. Goldman and Sheridan Hospital for their gracious help in coordinating everything. Thank you to Bobbie Ann Griffin, Rev. Gale Seibert, Mr. Goldman and the Wills Memorial Carolers for participating in the tree lighting ceremony. Thank you to Auxiliary members for planning the event, baking cookies, helping put up the lights and taking donations. We appreciate the use of First Baptist Church's sound equipment and Blake Thompson's help in setting it all up! Thank you, Sparky Newsome and The News-Reporter staff, for your unfailing support of the Auxiliary and all of our efforts to help Wills Memorial Hospital. Thank you, also, David Tyler for agreeing to let us use the tree and the courthouse lawn for the tree lighting. We thank David Jenkins, Mike Hardy, and the City of Washington for your help with coordinating power to the tree lights. This has been a wonderful experience for me and I thank you all for allowing me to be a part of it. It has once again confirmedwhat I already knew - Washington is a wonderful place to live! This community is full of warm and gracious residents who look for opportunities to reach out and help in any way they can. You all have embraced me and my family over the past three years and we so appreciate your hospitality! We love calling Washington, Georgia, our home and we look forward to raising our children here. A Book of Love has been put together to commemorate all honored names and donors. It will be on display in the hospital lobby for several weeks. Please go by at your convenience and take a look!
We look forward to our next Tree of Love celebration planned for Tuesday, November 25, 2008! Watch for more details in the fall.
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